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The changing world of the milongas

Here in Sydney milongas come and go - usually from venues rather than actually closing down. Days and dates are guarded jealously by those who organise the milongas and if someone is ready to move on they will usually offer their date or venue to another. If they have lost their venue for one reason or another they will frantically search to find a new one, rarely do events close in Sydney for other reasons.
Sadly the same is not the same in Buenos Aires. In 2011 Maipu 444 closed down - this was the venue for a number of famous milongas (El Maipú, La Marshall, Chirulo, Sentimental y Coqueta and Lujos) - some (did they all ?) found new homes, but the venue is gone. Recently Buenos Aires has seen the closing of two famous milonga Villa Malcolm on March 22 (apparently the venue was sadly run down) and Niño Bien on April 4. We also believe that the Tangocool milonga has closed.
It is tough in the tango world. I am sure there are those who look at teachers and milonga organisers and think they are sitting on pots of gold, but this is rarely so.
It isn't easy in Sydney, but is much worse in BA where tent and taxes have been going Up! Inflation has hit many of the locals and they can't afford to go to milongas in the way they did in the past. Even the Aussie tourists who have been to BA in the past and are there now are emailing about the rising costs.
Writes the blogger at New Orleans Tango life " Today, with more and more Europeans “teaching” and people learning to dance from You Tube, there are worse dancers than ever on the floor. This discourages the locals even more from going out dancing. The only ones who seem to be doing well are the tango for export dinner/show venues which are raking in up to 50% of the 1.5 billion tourist tango pesos." And I would add to that the teachers/performers who travel to teach and perform tango most of the year.
For those who have never been - and those who want to feel nostalgic there a number of videos on Youtube, including this one uploaded in 2007
and go to youtube for a longer one called 'Requiem for Niño Bien by Alberto Paz.
If you know more about what is happening in Buenos Aires - please comment. There are many who are interested.

Comments

Milongas in Buenos Aires have always come and gone. Now there is a new venue opening this week in Congreso that will have milongas seven days a week. Obelisco Tango is on Entre Rios just a half block from Lo de Celia's on the corner of Humberto Primo. This is where Nino Bien, Cachirulo and others are moving. Time will tell if the venue, lavishly remodeled for dancing, will satisfy the milongueros of Buenos Aires. I can't wait to check it out!

Club Villa Malcolm is an old neighborhood sports club that is still operating with classes and practicas. The only milonga held there was Cachirulo on Saturday, which moves to Obelisco Tango on April 20. Tango Cool moved out one week and ZUM practica started the next. Malcolm is for the young Nuevo dancers.

I've seen photos of the interior of Obelisco Tango, and it's hardly lavish. The opening is Friday from 5pm to 3am with two deejays. It remains to be seen how the place is received by the older dancers who will be the regulars of the milongas. The space was a children's playground that was quickly converted into an adult playground. The metal tubing chairs are not the most comfortable, one reason I do not attend milongas at Plaza Bohemia. New places don't realize the importance of every detail. I sit comfortably at Lo de Celia Tango Club and will not abandon my second home after 12 years.

VIDEOS of Buenos Aires milongas and other cities of Argentina and the world. VIDEOS performances, documentary, Tango classes for dancing and for the dancing floor. www.airesdemilonga.com.ar. From a argentinen taguero for the tangueros of the world. It's free. Enjoy it. Thaks you.

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